The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of the Hydrangea.
The new cultivar originated as a seedling from a controlled cross between the unpatented varieties ‘Snowball’ and ‘Libelle,’ with ‘Snowball’ being the pollen parent and ‘Libelle’ being the seed parent.
The variety ‘Glory’ has non-pigmented sepals. The new variety was first noticed, because it combined the desirable growth characteristics of its parents while producing flowers with non-pigmented sepals. The new variety has a compact growth habit, it produces showy blooms of uniform dimension, it blooms early, and it branches easily when pinched. In addition, the sepals of the new variety are resistant to turning brown when the plant experiences moderate drought and wilting and the sepals of the new variety are resistant to turning brown as the blooms age, thus the blooms are long-lasting. The following table compares the new variety to some of its closest varieties.
TABLE 1‘White‘SupremeRobe’White’NewU.S. Plant(U.S. Plant‘Snowball’VarietyPat.Pat. applicationunpatented‘Glory’No. 15,192No. 12/322,241varietyRelative HeightCompactTallMediumCompactInfloresenceExcellentAcceptableGoodPoorUniformityRelativeExcellentExcellentAcceptableVery Poorresistance tobrowning ofsepals whenstressed bymoderatedroughtRelative flowerExcellentGoodAcceptablePoorlongetivityCrop timeVery earlyLateStandardEarlyRelative easeExcellentAcceptableGoodExcellentof branchingwhen pinched
The new cultivar ‘Glory’ has been successfully asexually reproduced under controlled environmental conditions at a nursery in Half Moon Bay, Calif. under the direction of the inventor over a three year period with its distinguishing characteristics remaining stable.
Asexual reproduction was first accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initially selected plant. Examination of asexually reproduced, successive generations grown in at Half Moon Bay, Calif. show that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘Glory’ remains firmly fixed through three generations.